This invention concerns jewelry and more particularly jewelry pieces having settings which allow ready changing of gems or other decorative articles such as pearls so as to change to an article of a different type, color, cut, etc.
Various changeable gem setting designs have heretofore been developed, but these have not been readily adaptable to gemstones of various shapes, or to also accommodate such other decorative articles as pearls.
Another drawback is that the setting does not accommodate different sizes of the same shape gemstones.
Some designs are complicated to use and/or are expensive to manufacture due to their complexity.
Another problem is the reflection of the color of the material used in the setting to the exposed gem faces, adversely affecting the observed color of the gem, particularly gems cut so as to not have a culet.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a gem setting capable of allowing a quick and convenient change of the gemstone or other decorative article and which accommodates a variety of shapes and variations in size of the article.
Another object is to provide such a setting which is simple to use and is uncomplicated and inexpensive, yet provides a very secure retention of the mounted article to be suitable for precious gems, and allows various types of decorative articles to be installed on a jewelry piece such as a pendant or ring.
These objects and others which will be understood upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by a setting comprised of spring element pivotally connected to a portion of a jewelry piece having a seat adapted to receive a decorative article. The spring element is resiliently deflected by an article in the seat when one end of the spring element is positioned beneath a catch, urging the article against a stop. The spring element may be comprised of a first and second elongated resiliently bendable segments extending from a pivot connection in the same general direction but angled apart. A shorter segment has a generally annular article seat at its free end adapted to engage the lower end or surface of the decorative article to be held in the jewelry piece.
The other longer segment extends above the shorter segment and is adapted to be deflected to engage a catch on the jewelry piece after a gemstone or other article is pushed against a bezel or other stop surface by being engaged by the seat, urged against the same by the spring force generated by resilient deflection of the short segment.
The resilient deflection of the segments is maintained after the longer segment is moved beneath a catch. This deflection accommodates variations in size and shape of the mounted decorative article such as gemstones of various different cuts.
The spring element may also be constructed of an elongated wireform hinged at one end and having a decorative article seat intermediate its length, with the free end movable under a catch. This causes resilient bending of the muddle of the spring element to generate a spring force urging an article in the seat against a stop.